in a seething torrent. She remembered what his
story had been told for; she had forgotten for the moment, so well had
he acted his part, and had thought only that what he had said was the
outcome of his regard for her. Now she turned upon him like a
tigress.

"Judas!" she cried, a flush of rage sweeping up into her face as the
words hissed from between her teeth. "You have come to sell this man.
Your thoughts have nothing to do with the meting out of human justice.
You want a price for your filthy work. I loathe you! What curse is on
our family that you should have been born into it? You shall have your
money; do you hear? You shall have it, and with it goes my curse. But
not yet. My conditions are not fulfilled. I do not believe you; your
story has not convinced me; I can see no reason in it. Ha, ha!" and
she laughed hysterically. "You cannot make me believe it because I
will not. You shall have your money, I will not go back on my word;
but you must fulfil the conditions. You must convince me of the reason
in your story. You will earn your pay as you have never earned
anything in your life. Shall I tell you how you will earn it? You will
prove your story before judge and jury. When you have convinced them
you will have convinced me. Then I will pay you. My God, what taint
has brought such blood into the veins of our flesh? If Iredale is the
murderer he shall pay the extreme penalty, and you--whether you like
it or not--shall be instrumental in that punishment. You shall be his
accuser; you shall see him to the scaffold. And after it is over,
after you have received the sum of your blood-money, I will tell the
world of your doings. That you--my brother--demanded a price for your
work. They--the world--shall know you; shall loathe you as I loathe
you. You shall be an outcast wherever you go, stamped with the brand
of Judas--the most despised of all men. Better for you if you stood in
George Iredale's place on the scaffold than face the world so branded.
Oh, you wretched man, you have destroyed my life--my all! Go, and
bring the police. Go to those whose duty it is to listen to such
stories as yours. Now I will drive you to it; you shall go, whether
you like it or not. Refuse, and I will lay the information and force
you to become a witness. You thought you were dealing with a soft,
silly woman; you thought to cajole the price out of me, and then,
having obtained what you desired, to leave me to do the work. Fool!
You